Envelope



I June 20, 1939.

K. M -DONALD ENVELOPE Filed Jui 19, 1937 gm QM MAcDoNAinun -Tau s-r 'rEs .PATsN-r, orrics I 1 2,162,952 I nNvELoPE Kenneth MacDonald, Syracuse, N. Y., assign'or of one-half to Howard W.' Clasen, Syracuse,

Application m, 19, 19st, Serial No. 154,431 v I 10mm. (Cl. 22986) v This invention appertains to envelopes, and more particularly, to anew and improved device for facilitating the opening of envelopes to ren-. der-th eir contents accessible-for 'removal there- 5 from. i

I am aware used to cut the envelopes along one or more edges through manipulation of the string or wire as a cutting element,but suchenvelopes have i not come into extensiveguse primarily because of the increased cost of manufacture of the envelopes, and more particularly, due togthe fact that no practical and eflicient means has been 15 provided to normally prevent unauthorized opening of theenvelopes, while at the same time providing convenient access t0.th6 cutting element when it reaches'the hands of a person authorized I more economical and of lighter and less bulky construction than those formerly proposed.

A further object of the invention is to provide" an improved assembly of the cutting element and envelope wherein the cutting element can be conveniently and speedily grasped when the envelope is to be opened, through a simple and easy opera-- tion of the-fingers, but which is-normally so arranged as to minimize inadvertent or unauthorized opening ofthe envelope.

The invention resides in part in the use of an improved material commercially known as "Cellophane, or some equivalent material of a cellu lose derivative type, and which is availed of to constitute the envelope cutting or slitting element. Theinvention also resides'in part in an improved envelope construction andits novel relationto the cutting element.

Other objects and, advantages of the invention will be hereinafter described, and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claim. 1

' In the drawing: r 7 v l igu'fedusitrplan view of a common envelope blank having-my improved cutting element applied thereto'in accordance with the invention that heretofore strings or wires and the like have been applied to envelopes and Figure 2 is a fragmentary view, in elevation.

- of one corner of the envelope in its completed form, as viewed from the rearside, and illustrating one formof construction for facilitating access to the'cutting element applied to and normal- .5 ly concealed within the envelope; V

Figure 3 is a view generally corresponding to Figure 2, and illustrating a slightly modified envelope construction;

.Figure 4 is-a fragmentary plan"view of an 10 envelope blank similar toj Figure 1,'and illustrating a slightly modified formof cutting element; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a sealed envelope, illustrating a still further modll5 fled construction and arrangement of the cutting element.

Like reference characters designate corre- 9g sponding parts in the several figures of the drawing, wherein i designates the portion of the envelope which constitutes the front side, 2, 2' the usual laterally extended flaps which are adapted to be folded over upon the side I in a well known 09 manner-to form with the section 3 the backside of the envelope when the latter is folded'over v the folded flaps 2, 2' and secured theretoalong its marginal edges as by means of an adhesive 4. 5 designates the usual closure flap, having an ad- 9' hesive 6 applied to its mariginal edge so as to enable the same to be sealed in a position overlapping the back of the envelope when folded over upon the same, So much of the envelope construction as just described is well known in the art of envelope manufacture, and it is to be understood that-my invention is not limited to this particular construction since the same might be applied to other envelope constructions, as will be more readily apparent from the following 98 description.

In the case of the envelope construction illustrated in Figure 1, I preferably apply the cut- I ting or slitting element, generally designated 1, to the inner face ofthe rear section 3 adjacent to the fold line between the front side I and the section 3, so that when the latter'is folded to wards the side I, and over the end flaps 2,.2',-the cutting element 1' will lie within the envelope .and in 'a'concealed-and substantially normally 9% inaccessible position, thereby minimizing inads vertent or' unauthorized opening of the envelope through means of thecutting element I after the closure flap I has been scaled. -The cutting element I is secured at its opposite ends to the 05 section 3 adjacent to the opposite cornersthei'eof, asbymeansofasiutabvet. g

, consequently, the of ton through The cutting element is preferably composed of Cellophane or some suitable cellulose derivative product.- Such material has been found to be eminently suited to the purposes of this invention, because of its extreme toughness and great tensile strength, even when made in the form of a thin, narrow ribbon. According to the form oi. the cutting element ,1 illustrated in somewhat exag'gerated size in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5, the Cellophane" is twisted so as to reduce the same to a thread-like or filament form, and in so doing, the

cutting element 1 is strengthened and rendered practically unbreakable under normal use of the same to open the envelope in the manner hereinafter described. 'The thread-like formation of the element 1 may be attained by twisting a relatively narrow, fiat ribbon of Cellopha-m", and if desired, the twisted "Cellophane may be pressed flat so that its thickness is reduced tovery nearly its initialthinness, in which case, the

- this is quite important in the case of relatively large envelopes where it is desired to keep the weight of the envelope down to a minimum, and

the mail.

If desired, the cutting element may be secured to the envelope at one or more intervals in its length, aswell as at the ends thereof, orit may be secured thereto throughout its entire length, as desired. After the envelope has been sealed, and when it is desiredto open the same, one of the corners of the envelope, at one end of the cutting element I, may betorn off, thus giving access to the end of the cutting element. The endof the cutting element can then be grasped between the fingers and forced away outwardly from the folded edgev of the envelope in which the cutting element lies, thus causing the'cutting element to progressively cut .or slit the envelope along its edge in an obvious manner, and without damage to the contents of the envelo Insteadof relying upon removal .of a corner of the envelope to render the end of the cutting element accessible, I preferably employ an arrangement as illustrated in Figure 2. wherein the envelope is provided with a series of perforations I,

preferably formed in the rear'section 3 near one or bothcorners thereof. These perforations are Dreferablyarrangedmanarcsothat thesame may be conveniently engaged by the thumb nail or the nail of one of the fingers, in such manner as totear out a small segment from the corner of the section I, and thus expose. the end of the cutting element Latter which', the end of the cutting element may be grasped between the fingers and pulled out with an envelope slit- .tingmotioninthemannerdcscribedabove. In

' made without departing from the as defined by the appended claim.

a,1ca,oss I I p lieu of the perforations 0, a cut-out or notch II,

as illustrated in Figure 3, may be substituted therefor. Otherwise, the construction of the envelope shown in Figure 3 and its associated cutting element isthe same as shown in Figures 1 and 2. I

Referring to Figure-4,-the cutting.element lis shown in the form of a narrow, fiat ribbon, as distinguished from its twisted form shown in the other figures. The ribbon may be composed of a single thickness of "Cellophane" of suitable narrow .width to afford the necessary strength, or it may be folded double, in which case sufficient strength may be attained, while preserving a very narrow width of cutting element. If desired, the envelope of Figure 4 may or may not be provided with the perforations 9 shown in Figure 2 or the cut out or notch l0 shown in Figure 3.

In each of the constructions shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, the cutting element is preferably arranged at the bottom edge of the envelope, opposite to the closure fiap i. This ar- 'rangement is considered best since the cutting element is in an out-of-the-way position and will not interfere with the insertion or removal of the envelope contents.- It is to be understood, howeven-that the cutting element may be secured to the envelope along any one or more of'the edges of the envelope, including the edge at which the closure I is disposed, if desired.

Referring now to Figure 5, I have shown the envelope opening' or cutting element 1" applied to the envelope at one of its side edges, and as a further modification of the construction, the opposite ends of the cutting element I" extend through small slits H, so that the ends II, of the element 1" aren'ormally exposed at the back of the envelope for convenient and quick access to the same. The ends l2, II are preferably adhesively secured to theoutside of the end fiap, as for example, the flap 2'. Of course, only one end of the cutting element 1" may be extended through the flap 2' and secured to the outside thereof, if preferred, with the opposite end secured to the; inside of the flap; To open the envelope illustrated in Figure 5, it is merely necessary, to loosenone end I! of the cutting element 1"and grasp the same between the fingers and then pull the cutting element outwardly through the folded edge and towards the opposite corner in thesame manner as in the'case of the'other constructions previously described.

' While thespecific details have been herein shown and described, the invention is not con-' fined thereto, as changes and alterations may be pirit thereof Having thus described my invention, what I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters vPatent is r As a new article of manufacture, an envelope having an elongated relatively flat "Cellophane opening member secured. thereto within a fold at the bottom edge thereof and wovided with 'means adjacent to at least one bottom'corner thereof and confined to one side of the fold for rendering one end of the opening member accessible for manipulation of the opening member to rip or slit theedge of the envelope.

. MAcDONALD. 

